Brendan Rodgers thought Celtic fans had 'forgotten my name' as he responds to chants after title triumph

The Northern Irishman’s return to the club was questioned by many at the time and even a large portion of the Celtic support were cool on the idea of someone who walked out on the club coming back.

Support for him has remained notably constrained but his name was being sung by supporters as Celtic clinched a third successive title – and 12th in 13 years, including another three under Rodgers first time around – with a stylish 5-0 win over Kilmarnock at Rugby Park.

“I thought they had forgotten my name,” smiled the manager afterwards. He admitted it had been “awkward” in the first few months as he and the supporters moved gingerly around each other.

Asked what he would have been doing 18 months ago, before a return to Celtic had started to become a possibility, he said he would have been wishing for the day to come when a rapprochement with the club he had always supported might be possible.

“I would have been dreaming of that moment when I was away and hoping it would happen again,” he said. “It’s a really good feeling.

“It was about the team and the support staff,” he added. “There was so much in the first six months. It felt a bit awkward for everyone. There were lots of challenges from a management perspective, tedious stuff that took place. I’ve not had that before in my career. The challenge was the voice of the team was right no matter the negativity. We stay on point, keep our focus and preparation knowing the players would get to a level and intensity to which my teams normally play and as if by magic that’s how it’s ended up. That spirit in the team was key. You have to have that.”

He stressed that he was proud of the way the team had wrapped up the championship, with one of their best – if not the best – performances of the season.

“I’m so proud of how they’ve dealt with the pressure and how they stepped it up against a Kilmarnock team coached so well and who are so well organised,” he said. “Everything you want in a team - speed, creativity, power. It was a joy to watch to make us champions. I feel really proud.”

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